Berkley takes first step towards new town hall

The Town Office Building Project Committee officially embarked on their long, complicated journey toward a new town hall in Berkley Monday night.

By Casey Nilsson

The Taunton Daily Gazette, Taunton, MA

By Casey Nilsson

Posted Mar. 10, 2011 at 12:01 AM
Updated Mar 10, 2011 at 10:00 AM

By Casey Nilsson

Posted Mar. 10, 2011 at 12:01 AM
Updated Mar 10, 2011 at 10:00 AM

BERKLEY

» Social News

The Town Office Building Project Committee officially embarked on their long, complicated journey toward a new town hall in Berkley Monday night.

The committee was formed to plan out the “one hundred-year decision”— the reconstruction of a town hall that will adequately serve the town of Berkley for 100 years, Selectman George Miller said during the March 2 Board of Selectmen meeting.

The original town hall has been closed to the public since Dec. 20, 2010 because of extensive structural problems.

Town Executive Secretary Paul Modlowski, the elected chair of the committee, said the Town Office Building Project Committee’s first meeting on Monday night was “mostly introductions, and finding out what each individual is good at,” he said.

Modlowski said two members couldn’t make the first meeting because of scheduling conflicts, however the members in attendence set the committee’s scheduled meeting time as 6:30 p.m. on Monday nights.

The committee did get into some preliminary discussion about the new town offices project. One of the questions posed was whether additional land could be aquired for the new offices, but “most everyone agreed that we have plenty of space here (at 1 N. Main St.), but we will have to use it wisely,” Modlowski said.

Modlowski said the group also began discussion of what type of building they would want to construct and how large it would have to be to accommodate all town personnel.

Modlowski said the group will be referencing a previous blueprint, submitted by the Boston-based architectural firm DiMarinisi and Wolfe in June of 2007, to get a basic understanding of the necessary size of the building.

The firm was contacted nearly four years ago, a clear demonstration that Berkley town officials have been mulling over a new town office building project for some time.

“Their final study was submitted as a two-story town office building, and they even figured out the square footage needed for each department,” he said. “If we start with that, we can come up with a solid size, something that can fit on the property here.”

Although they will utilize the blueprints as a reference tool, Modlowski said the committee could choose one level or two when it comes down to the final suggestion.

The committee has a long while before their completed suggestions are posed to residents, but Modlowski said next week they will be moving further in that direction.

“This week was more of a general discussion,” Modlowski said, “but next week, more specific jobs will be handed out to the members.”